Will this video be enough to save Rick Perry's campaign?

The Texas governor has released a campaign video rounding on Barack Obama for his "socialist" polici

Perhaps reeling from his recent gaffes, Republican White House hopeful Rick Perry has released a new campaign ad which sharpens his criticism of President Barack Obama.

A sinister opening score -- which has become a leitmotif for Obama in any ad of this ilk -- shows the President saying that Americans have been "a little lazy I think over the last couple of decades."

"Can you believe that?" an incredulous Perry asks as he stands outside in a casual shirt, face laden with make-up, the backing music suddenly optimistic and inspirational. He labels the comments "pathetic", later rounding on Obama for his "socialist policies [that] are bankrupting America".

Bankruptcy is not something Perry himself needs to worry about. Despite the infamous "Oops" moment that saw his popularity all but plummet, (Perry is now polling in single digits in some national polls), the early success and momentum of his campaign managed to draw in enough financial backing to effectively bank-roll his activities in the latter stages of the Republican nomination process.

So we can expect more of the same, maybe a little nastier, as the Perry team focuses on the state of Iowa, the first to go to the polls on 3 January 2012. But if Perry doesn't manage to re-take some lost ground pretty quickly, he may not even last that long in the race; his backers could be demading a refund.